The present invention relates to methods and devices for regaining control and resuming oil and/or gas production at an offshore oil well after an explosion or a blowout causing an uncontrolled release of fluids such as oil or water mixed with gas from the remaining part of the damaged well. The term “oil well” is used herein to describe a well that produces any type of hydrocarbons including oil and gas, but which may also produce a gas condensate or water as part of the multi-phase fluid discharge that comes out of the well. The present invention more specifically relates to methods for controlling the fluid discharge by gradually decreasing fluid flow using a plurality of flow restricting inserts.
In the field of offshore oil drilling, oil wells are kept under control by means of a column of mud which provides a hydrostatic load sufficient for maintaining overpressure between the well and the external pressure at control values. This column of mud, also known as primary well control barrier, is present both inside the well and also in a pipe called a riser, which connects the drilling platform at the sea surface to the sea bottom.
At the sea bottom, moreover, in correspondence with the well heads, there are present secondary oil well control devices, called blowout preventers (BOP) configured as valves to close the oil well off in the case of uncontrolled release of fluids from the well itself.
Often during drilling or well exploration in gas and oil wells, a gas kick may enter into the well space. Such gas may come from the well reservoir (formation) and reach the bottom hole of the well. If this is not detected immediately, a gas bubble (gas kick) is created in the hole. Gas kick, according to Archimedes' principle begins to ascend within the annular space of the well. If not allowed to expand, such gas kick brings its initial high pressure equal to the formation pressure to the head of the well. At the same time, the pressure everywhere along the well begins to rise. If the BOP is closed, and there is no “washing” in the well, a hydrofracture of formation may occur. As a result, the drilling fluid enters the formation, and the well is filled with gas. If the drill pipe has no check valve, the gas also fills drill pipes all the way up to the wellhead. This may cause a gas explosion that may result in human casualties, environmental pollution and the creation of an uncontrolled fountain. This uncontrolled fountain is very difficult to suppress, because the wellhead is under enormous pressure. As offshore drilling on the continental shelves is progressing into deeper and deeper waters, the problem is many times more complicated when the explosion occurs in deep waters. Suppressing such a well and cleaning of the environment may cost billions of dollars.
Presently known are various techniques for reestablishing the control of the well in case of a blowout, such as for example the techniques of bridging, capping, production of a relief well and assembling a string of pipes for the injecting cement down the well, such string is sometimes referred to as a killing string.
A killing intervention consists of the insertion of a specific string of pipes inside a blowout well. When inserted in the well, the killing string allows conventional killing techniques to be applied such as the circulation of heavy mud, closure by means of inflatable packers, and so forth. This method has proved to be the most rapid, but it can currently only be used in the case of well blowouts in shallow water, i.e. less than 1,000 meters deep. In addition, in order to allow for the adequate flow of cement through the killing string, its internal diameter has to be sufficiently large such as at least 10 cm or more. Inserting such a large string of pipes presents a challenge due to an enormous pressure in the well urging the killing string out of the well. Additional methods of killing a well include drilling a side channel into the well and sealing the well through such channel. This method takes a long time (several months) while allowing for the uncontrolled release to continue polluting the waters with large quantity of oil. This process is also quite expensive. In addition, there is always an uncertainty present as to the exact location of the well deep down under the sea bottom. On occasion, if the side channel has missed the well, a powerful explosion may have to be used to shift the layers of the rocks and the ground near the well so as to seal it properly. In rare circumstances, underground nuclear explosions are known to be used for such purpose.
To date, no practical equipment or method is available to the industry for the purpose of regaining control of a deep water abandoned wellhead on the offshore seabed after a blowout causing spilling of reservoir fluids into the sea. The environmental pollution caused by such outpouring of reservoir fluids and gases can have disastrous consequences, as evident by the 2011 pollution created over a large section of the Gulf of Mexico and adjacent beaches by the erupted BP well off the coast of Mexico.
There is a need for improved and expeditious methods for regaining control of an uncontrolled release of fluids from an oil well following a blowout or an explosion event.
There is also a need preserve the oil well and to resume oil production therefrom following an explosion. Drilling a single underwater oil well costs millions of dollars and so it is highly desirable to not abandon a well if at all possible so as not to suffer an economic loss associated with such abandonment.